Farmers are reminded to fill out the Water Use Survey from NCDA&CS if they have not already done so. This survey is sent to farmers who withdraw 10,000 gallons of water per day from groundwater or surface water. Information collected helps understand agricultural water usage and needs in the state.

I want to remind farmers who received a Water Use Survey from the department to fill out and submit the survey if they have not already done so. The survey closes in March, so there’s not a lot of time left to share your information.

The surveys are sent to farmers who withdraw 10,000 gallons of water per day from groundwater or surface water. This year marks the 10th time the survey has been conducted.

Some people may wonder why having data on agricultural water use is so important, but this information helps ensure ag needs can be met, particularly when water resources are limited in situations like droughts.

The public perception has been that farmers use an excessive amount of water. But over the years, results from this survey have actually shown that agricultural water use is relatively small in comparison with other water consumers, such as industry.

This 2024 survey is especially important in order to have an accurate measure of agricultural water use through the extreme weather swings of drought, heavy rain and Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

For the 2022 survey, we had a 79 percent response rate. This year, responses have been lower, which is why we are making this final push for participation.

Individual information provided will remain confidential and will only be used in combination with other reports to produce totals.

You can find more information about the survey online under the Agricultural Statistics Division web page at ncagr.gov.